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I guess I’ve come to always do my best to make my translations not sound “translated”… In a way, instead of “translating”, I feel like I do more of a “retelling” of the story in a different language, using words and phrasing that would naturally be said in the target language as much as possible. On top of this, there’s also the need to retain the original style, which concerns things like honorifics, slangs, formal/casual speech, tone and emotions, the personality of the characters involved, and so on. Sometimes there is just no way to translate these things directly; sometimes there might be an equivalent expression in the target language, but it doesn’t work since it wouldn’t fit the character’s personality.

Of course, despite all these considerations, first and foremost my task is to convey the meanings expressed in the original work, so I never want the additional processing/smoothing to twist the orignal meaning. Finding the right balance there is difficult, but I think it’s also one of the biggest fun about doing translations.

#etc #i also found out that some viewers like to read the stories without necessarily listening to the CDs #so there's even more motivation to make the translations coherent and hopefully enjoyable to read on their own

[Translation] Ieraishan no Hitsugi, First Night: Rakka Ryuusui

CV: Kawamura Masato

t/n: Since this story is set in ~18-19th century China, a lot of names appear in Chinese but adapted with Japanese pronunciations; for example, from the title, “ieraishan” is the romanization of the Japanese pronunciation approximated for what would be spelled as “yelaixiang” in Chinese pinyin. In this translation, I spelled all the names that appear in the CD as Chinese with Chinese pinyin to distinguish them from the rest of the Japanese script.

Track 1: Xiaomei

[market noises]

[footsteps]

Hey! The man over there! Who gave you the permission to do business here? This area is Hudie’s territory. I don’t know where you came from, but I’m not gonna be generous enough to pretend I didn’t see an outsider doing business here as he pleases. So… You guys, show that dumbass how things are done under Hudie’s watch.

Heh. [approaching] Now let’s see here… [chains clink]

Lass, where did you come from?

Hm~ That’s an awfully long trip you had to take. Though, it sure doesn’t look like you sold yourself to that man by your own choice. Did you get kidnapped? Or did your parents sell you off?

Which means now you don’t have anywhere to go.

Can you read and write?

How about arithmetics?

Heh~ Didn’t expect I’d pick up something so nice from the streets.

[comes closer]

Don’t move. I’m just cutting the rope.

#ieraishan no hitsugi #translation #kawamura masato #r18 otome #drama cd #otome #*

[Translation] Le Théâtre, Act 4: Tsukahara Kazuma

t/n: Once upon a time, I listed this CD as a WIP on the blog’s homepage… And after two years, I have finally gotten back to it and finished this translation… Sorry for such a long wait if I had kept you waiting!

Scene 1: Reunion

[footsteps approach]

Excuse me! I heard that a PR staff is here?

[MC turns around]

Eh? You…! What are you doing here?

You are Ragnarok’s PR? How come? What about your job?

Wait, you quit? When?

Half a year ago… So that’s after we broke up. Well, yeah, of course… But why are you working for a theatre troupe? I thought you had no interest in theater!

Of course I’d be surprised! [sigh] [chuckles]

Long time no see. I guess it’s been a year? I’m glad you’re doing well.

#le theatre #domon atsushi #r18 otome #drama cd #translation #*#turns out i have more free time than i thought this summer #this had been in my drafts from july 2021 to june 2023 (kekw

[Translation] Basuke-bu Ace no Futamata ga Hakkaku shita node Karada de Owabi saseru (with free talk)

CV: Nikaisen Ataru

Thanks so much anon for the commission!

Track 1

[basketball court noises] [whistle blown]

[door opens] [approaches]

Good work, senpai! I finally finished cleaning things up. Did I make you wait? I chose this college because we have a good basketball team here, but making underclassmen do all the clean-up work? That’s just too old-fashioned, even for a school like this.

Don’t you still have management work to do? Well, you are the one who told me to come here. “Come over to the PE storage room after practice”… That’s just basically telling me you’re gonna make a confession! Ah~ Being popular could be a pain in the ass sometimes, don’t you think? Anyhow, I never realized that an ice queen like you would be into a guy like me. You’re such a good actress, senpai.

#basuke-bu ace no futamata ga hakkaku shita node karada de owabi saseru #nikaisen ataru #fem-dom #doujin #drama cd #r18 otome #translation #*

Hi, I'm so glad you're back! I hope you're doing great. =] I was curious about the translation of Le Theatre that you were doing a while back, as I was very excited about it. I wanted to know if it was not possible to complete it or if it was a commission and you were asked not to publish it? Either way, I don't mean to make you feel pressured or ask you to share it if it's not in your plans, I hope it doesn't seem like it!

Hi there, thank you for the ask! Hope you're doing well too :)

I was not able to finish the translation of Le Theatre unfortunately, since I got very busy with school and work, and I just sort of never had the chance to go back to that CD (or managing my blog altogether haha)... The translation I'm currently working on is for a commission, and the commissioner was generous enough to allow me to take my time on it which is why I decided to do it.

I do feel bad that I never finished Le Theatre despite having listed it as a WIP on my blog for a while though, so I'll see if I can find some time to do it justice, perhaps over the summer. (I can't guarantee it though.)

#ask #anon #sorry that i kept you waiting for nothing anon :(

#etc #i accidentally stumbled on an english audio on sc and Bolted within a sec #in jp i can listen to the wildest shit and still be total kalm #but in any other lang i know im just like................ byE #my tolerance is so language (japanese) specific its kinda funny LMAO

[Translation] Nemuri Hime no Yuutsu to Katsute Kodomo datta Moribito-tachi

CV: Chasuke

Thanks so much again for the commission, Lisa!

Track 1: My Lovely Sleeping Beauty

(This scene takes place when Visk is 18 and MC is still asleep.)

[reading a picture book] “Once upon a time, in a kingdom somewhere, there was a princess who could never wake up from her sleep. While the princess was asleep, she didn’t age even a little, although the people around her kept getting older. The troubled king made an official announcement, ‘I shall grant my permission to marry the princess to the man who wakes her.’ Fighting to wake the princess, there was chaos among men throughout the kingdom. Despite their efforts, the princess did not wake up. However, when an honest young man gave the princess a kiss of true love – ”

What even is “true love”? Is Aurrie not waking up ’cause the feelings I have aren’t true love? Or is it ’cause I’m not an honest man? Hey, which one do you think it is?

[stands up] You look so pretty in your sleep. Hey, do you realize? Today marks the fourth year after you’ve fallen asleep, Aurrie. I turned 18, you know. I grew a lot taller, and I’m starting to look more like a grown-up man. If you wake up now, I bet you’ll be shocked. I mean, I was 14 when you fell asleep at 17, but four years have passed, and now I’m actually older than you. At this year’s flower burial festival, a few girls asked me to give them flowers – yep, they asked me out.

[comes up] How does that make you feel? Will jealousy wake you up?

#nemuri hime no yuutsu to katsute kodomo datta moribito-tachi #chasuke #katou masayuki #drama cd #r18 otome #otome #translation #doujin #yandere #*#dude's so much creepier than harlan omg

[Translation] Nemuri Hime no Yuutsu to Katsute Kodomo datta Moribito-tachi ~Kinshi Ginshi no Kumo no Ito~

CV: Domon Atsushi, Chasuke, Marshmallow-Yakitarou

Thank you so much for the commission, Lisa! <3

Track 1: Inconsistency

(This scene takes place five years after MC fell into a deep sleep, when Harlan is 15 years old.)

Harlan: [reading a picture book] “Once upon a time, in a kingdom somewhere, there was a princess who could never wake up from her sleep. While the princess was asleep, she didn’t age even a little, although the people around her kept getting older. The troubled king made an official announcement, ‘I shall grant my permission to marry the princess to the man who wakes her.’ Fighting to wake the princess, there was chaos among men throughout the kingdom. Despite their efforts, the princess did not wake up. However, when an honest young man gave the princess a kiss of true love, the princess was at last awakened fro-” [chuckles]

Harlan: Sorry… I failed right before getting to the good part. Aah~ Visk always makes it look so easy when he reads these. That guy’s just too good… Seriously, he’s so good at everything.

Harlan: Actually, I had an argument with Visk. And… He told me to get out of the orphanage. Don’t be mad at Visk. It was my fault. Look, this tattoo… It doesn’t suit me at all, right? I know. Visk told me that too. That’s why we had a big argument.

#nemuri hime no yuutsu to katsute kodomo datta moribito-tachi #domon atsushi #chasuke #marshmallow-yakitarou #r18 otome #satou takuya #drama cd #translation #yandere #*#doujin

[Translation] Rouge et Noir: Under the Gun (含中文翻译)

CV: Kawamura Masato

t/n: I decided to take this opportunity aka my undying love for Makabe to do both an English and a (simplified) Chinese translation of this CD. It’s also my first time translating Japanese into Chinese, so pardon my mistakes if you spot any!

— English Ver. —

Track 1: First to Act

[enters elevator]

[on the intercom]

Newbie, can you hear me?

Sounds like the signal is strong. Fill me in on your current situation.

[leaves elevator, walking]

Roger that. I’ll now confirm our plan with you one last time.

The name of our target is Imari Touno. He’s just an average finance guy on the surface, but in the underworld, he’s well-known as a regular at the drug parties. You’ll pretend as the hustler he called in and infiltrate his apartment. It’s located at the end of the 32nd floor that you’re on right now.

A drug addict like him will definitely invite you to join him before he gets started on the business. Once you’ve got your eyes on the real stuff, shut the curtains on the west-facing window. We’ll take that as the signal to break into his apartment. Alright?

[sigh] What? Are you nervous?

I’m just standing by on the floor below. If things go south, I’ll come help you right away, so don’t worry.

Alright, let’s go!

[rings doorbell]

#rouge et noir #r18 otome #drama cd #kawamura masato #yamanaka masahiro #rouge et noir: under the gun #translation #*#yeahh this series is just so fun to work with #and doing this translation made me fall in love with makabe all over again ugHH #also going japanese -> chinese actually felt easier than japanese -> english haha

kawamura’s free talks always bring me so much joy man

#tfw u realize the FT track is the one you’ve listened to the most number of times lol #its just…… so healing #i think my fav ones so far are from thanatos and apparition #esp when he starts questioning his own characters lmao #etc

[Translation] Police Danna-sama –Keishi · Minegishi Makoto– (with cast interview)

CV: Kawamura Masato

Track 1: Wedding Night

[door opens]

[approaches]

I kept you waiting. You look sleepy.

[sits on bed]

No, don’t worry about it. The wedding is nerve-racking enough on its own, and you had to wear uncomfortable dresses and shoes on top of all that. I know you’re tired. Especially because you play the piano and need to use the pedals, you’re not very used to wearing high-heeled shoes, right?

[touches]

Look, you have a bleed under your toe nail. That looks painful.

Really? But just in case, you should refrain from going out and let it heal for a few days. I’ll do my best to take over the housework tomorrow too.

[kisses foot]

You already showered, so we’re all good, aren’t we? Ah, by the way, I set up a late check-out for us tomorrow morning, so we can sleep in till noon.

#police danna-sama #kawamura masato #yamanaka masahiro #r18 otome #otome #drama cd #tw: S&M #translation #*#Oof this one was challenging both technically and mentally #i had fun tho 🙈

working on police danna-sama rn and damn... i knew this was gonna be a challenging one to translate (in many ways lol) but whenever makoto starts giving his possessive police spiel (which is honestly like, pretty much everything besides the rated scenes) my brain just goes brrrrr lmao

literally had to transcribe paragraphs of his lines bc i am just incapable of remembering what he says for long enough to do the translation in my head

and once again, kudos to kawamura-san for pulling off this script

#im getting war flashbacks from my jp translation class #with long ass sentences clustered with legal jargon #(and i love it lmao)#etc

A bunch of Hanakagami’s works just launched on DLSite and they’re doing a sale!!! Can’t believe I’m seeing the day Rouge et Noir is sold on DLSite aaaaaa

gogogo while you can layer the 18% off coupon on top of the 20% off sale when you buy 3

#etc